Teachers visited a
pecan farm during On the Road With Ag in the Classroom, 2003 - Pictured
above is a trap used for catching pecan weevils.
The first documented evidence of nut consumption occurred around 7,000 BC, during the Stone Age.
The name "pecan'
is an Algonquin word meaning "a tough nut to crack."
The history of pecans
can be traced back to the 16th Century, originating in central
and eastern north America and the river valleys of Mexico.
George Washington and
Thomas Jefferson planted pecan trees in the 1700s. Washington
called them "Mississippi nuts."
Roasted pecan shells were a common coffee substitute in
Civil War rations.
- Today pecans are widely available throughout Oklahoma and Texas.
Pecan trees range in
height from 70 to 100 feet but sometimes grow to 150 feet
or more. Native pecan trees - those over 150 years old - have
trunks more than 3 feet in diameter.
The pecan tree is a
member of the hickory family.
There are over 1,000
varieties of pecans, many named for Native American Indian
Astronauts took pecans
to the moon in two Apollo space missions.
Pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin A, Vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phospherous, several B vitamins, potassium and zinc.
Pecans contain compounds
with antioxidant properties and can help fight the buildup
of LDL cholesterol - low-density lipoprotein - the so-called
Pecans are heart-healthy,
containing 87 percent unsaturated fatty acids - 62 percent
monounsaturated and 25 percent polyunsaturated.
Pecans come in a variety
of sizes - mammoth, extra large, large, medium, small and
midget. They are sold as whole nuts, halves, pieces, granules
Although the pecan is
a heavy nut, it takes 5,640 halves to equal the weight of
a standard watermelon.
Pecan trees are prized
for their lumber, which makes beautiful furniture, flooring
Pecan wood is also used in agricultural implements, baseball
bats, hammer handles, furniture, wall paneling, flooring,
religious carvings, and firewood.
All along the Red River
and a line from Ardmore to Tulsa is Oklahoma's major pecan-producing
Okmulgee owns the world
record for largest pecan pie, pecan cookie, pecan brownie,
and biggest ice cream and cookie party. Each June,
Okmulgee rolls out the welcome mat to thousands of its
closest friends as the annual Pecan Festival comes to town.
More Ag Facts
Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom
Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative
Extension Service, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and
Forestry, and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.